What to eat before a run: simple timings and food ideas

What to eat before a run: the timing ladder

Most of the official UK advice lines up on the same simple idea: the closer you are to your run, the smaller and plainer the food should be. Here's how that looks in practice.

1. 2 to 3 hoursA balanced meal. The British Heart Foundation suggests a balanced meal two to three hours before working out, with slow-release, higher-fibre carbs and lean protein. Its examples: porridge made with low-fat milk and some fruit, egg on wholegrain toast, or chicken and rice. The British Dietetic Association says the same window works for a low-fat, high-carbohydrate snack or light meal.
2. 1 to 2 hoursA light, carb-based snack. The NHS Couch to 5K plan recommends a light but carbohydrate-based snack 1 to 2 hours before you run, and names a banana or a slice of toast as a great option.
3. Under 1 hourSomething small and easy to digest. If you're eating less than an hour before, for example an early-morning run, the BHF suggests a smaller snack with carbohydrate: a banana, low-fat natural yoghurt, crackers with low-fat soft cheese, a smoothie or a glass of low-fat milk.

If you'd rather not eat at all before a short, easy run, that's usually fine. The BHF says you can get away without eating before a session that's low intensity or under an hour. Whether you should is a separate question, and I've covered it in should you eat before running?

What not to eat right before a run

The main thing to go easy on close to a run is food that's high in fat or fibre. The BHF explains that these take longer to digest and may cause stomach discomfort during exercise. Johns Hopkins Medicine adds very spicy food to that list, and notes that caffeine can upset some people's stomachs on the run.

None of this is dangerous. It's about comfort, and every runner's stomach is different. If a food has upset you before, don't eat it before a run.

What to eat before a longer or harder run

For most everyday running, normal healthy eating covers you. The BHF says that if you exercise moderately three or four times a week, like a jog of up to an hour, you don't need sports nutrition or any special foods. The BDA agrees that on a general fitness programme your carbohydrate needs can be met by a normal healthy diet.

Longer and harder sessions are different. The BDA says carbohydrate is the main fuel for exercising muscles, and that harder and longer training needs more of it. For sessions or events over an hour, the 2016 sports nutrition position stand from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine suggests 1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the 1 to 4 hours before. That guidance was written with athletes in mind, so treat it as an upper guide rather than a target.

To picture it, the BDA lists foods that each contain roughly 50 g of carbohydrate:

If you're running hard for longer than an hour, the BDA notes that carbohydrate during the run can help performance too.

What to drink before a run

Start your run well hydrated. The BDA's simple rule is to drink to “just stay ahead of thirst”, which helps you avoid drinking too much or too little. The NHS suggests taking water with you on warmer days or longer runs, and taking small sips when you need to.

Try your pre-run food in training first

Whatever works for you, find it out on ordinary training runs, not on race day. BBC Food makes the same point: trial a few pre-run breakfasts before the big day, because the last thing you want is an upset stomach. Once you've found two or three foods that sit well, stick with them.

After the run, refuelling matters just as much. See what to eat after a run, and use the free running calorie calculator to see roughly what your run burned.

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